REVIEW: Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong

In Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong, When Daphne McFadden wrote a YA novel about a zombie apocalypse with a kickass heroine not just surviving, but thriving, she couldn’t have been prouder. Trying to get said manuscript seen by publishers? Not so easy. So, after a little bit too much wine and replaying all the times she’s been wronged by men, Daphne decides to use a male pen name, Zane Remington, instead. And lo and behold, her book sells. For a lot of money. Before she knows what’s happening, she’s become a bestselling author who now needs someone to pose as Zane for interviews and a possible book tour. That’s when Chris Stanton appears in Daphne’s life, changing everything in his wake.

‘She’d pandered to the very system she’d railed against.’

Chris is pretty well knocked out by Daphne from the word go. Okay, so he fibbed about being an actor–he’s actually an accountant by trade. One who desperately needs this to work out so he can save his business and his reputation. But Chris figures out quite fast that playing macho author Zane is not only the key to his career woes, but it also gives him a fair bit of time with Daphne. And if he’s being honest, the more he gets to know her, the more Chris thinks they could have a future together. Well, that’s IF they can pull off their task at hand. It starts off relatively easy. The press and Daphne’s–er, Zane’s fans make him feel like the superstar she truly is. But as they worry about if or when the truth about who they both are will come out, their growing relationship will also need to be handled gently so neither of them get hurt.

“Are you offering to be my fake boyfriend again, Chris Stanton?”
“I am.”
“Would it involve kissing?”
“It could.”
“Good, because there’s no fake dating without kissing.”

FINDING MR. WRITE was a rom-com with heart, lots of laughs, and a sweet, sexy romance layered in with the highs and lows of being a new author in a world geared toward men. In other words, Kelley Armstrong wrote a well-rounded novel I deeply enjoyed.

“Do you want to start a story with me, Daphne?”

CW: View Spoiler »Misogyny, parental death (historical), drug use mentioned « Hide Spoiler

A rom-com by Kelley Armstrong, long time author of mystery, fantasy, and horror? Yes, please. FINDING MR. WRITE proved she has a strong voice no matter what genre she focuses on. And I was smitten (as well as chuckling) from the very first line of this book. Told from dual POVs, this definitely brought the humor and heat to Daphne and Chris’s romance–but it also had a complex storyline with many moving parts that synced up nicely.

While this wasn’t full on feminist, there were some poignant moments that I think will resonate with most women–both in Daphne’s personal and professional life. I absolutely loved that Armstrong crafted her as a strong, independent, creative, loving person who adored her Yukon home and who could fend for herself being off grid. What I also really liked was that those were the same qualities that Chris, aka Zane Remington, was wowed by. He was impressed, rightly so, by how capable Daphne was. So, paired up with her natural beauty, he was a goner from the first time they met.

Daphne’s attraction to Chris, however, was tempered by his Zane persona–which was very different from his true self: a funny, slightly awkward math geek. As Zane, he was a little egotistical and show offish but charming as all get out. It was when Daphne got glimpses of the real Chris here and there that she knew she was in trouble. And not because she was using a male pen name for her book and had hired Chris to pose as her in public. Nope, Daphne knew they had something special. But after having been badly hurt before, she wasn’t looking for a relationship. It all worked out superbly in the end, but Armstrong definitely made Chris and Daphne work hard for their HEA, making it all that much sweeter.

QOTD: Have you read any of Kelley Armstrong’s books?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: June 25th, 2024 | Forever |

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers a fun romantic comedy about a woman writing under a male pseudonym and the man she hires to play the role in public.

Daphne McFadden already knows that as a female author, the cards are stacked against her. Now she knows just how much. Because her sudden whim to pose as an “outdoorsy hunk of masculinity” male author for her new book just resulted in a bidding war, a huge book deal, and the kind of fame every author dreams of. Now she’s in big trouble. Because she needs to convince the world that Zane Remington actually exists . . . but how? By hiring an actor, of course. Only Chris Stanton is not an actor—not officially. He’s used to balancing the books, not pretending he wrote one. Still, he’s mostly certain he can pose as some overly macho bro-author. But when the media descend on Daphne’s gorgeous remote home in the Yukon, it’s not enough for Chris to just be the face of Zane Remington—he’ll have to become him. All while hilariously balancing the terrifying dangers of the wilderness, a massive femme fandom, and a serious crush on Daphne. But as the hype circus gets more out of control, it’s just a matter of time before someone discovers their little write lie . . .